West Division preview

Accurately predicting the division races in the Frontier League is nearly impossible because of the large amount of turnover on the rosters, not only from year to year but throughout the season. But, hey, I'll give it a shot. Here's a preview of the West Division in predicted order of finish:

1. Southern Illinois Miners
Location: Marion, Ill.
Manager: Mike Pinto (4th year - 163-125 in Frontier League)
Stadium: Rent One Park (3,611)
Last year: 56-40, Tied for 2nd in West.
Key returners: P Joe Augustine 7-5, 3.50; P Ryan Bird 9-7 3.48; 1B Brad Miller .296, 13 HR, 74 RBI; OF Joey Metropoulos .317, 22 2B, 31 HR, 82 RBI; OF Jereme Milons .285, 15 HR, 72 RBI, 38 SB.
Impact newcomers: 1B Ernie Banks .353, 24 HR, 75 RBI with Washington and River City; OF Stephen Head 74 games, 6 HR last year in Class AAA, 206 career games above Class A.
Outlook: Southern Illinois has averaged 57 wins over the last two years and the Miners could be even better this season. The offense is loaded with power hitters and Bird was the league's Pitcher of the Year in 2008. The only concern could be pitching depth.
Quoteable: "We look good on paper. Too bad we can't play the games on paper." - Pinto.

2. River City Rascals
Location: O'Fallon, Mo.
Manager: Steve Brook (1st year)
Stadium: T.R. Hughes Ballpark (5,191)
Last year: 56-38, 1st in West; lost to Lake Erie in finals.
Key returners: P Jason Lowey 3-2, 3.43, 23 saves; 1B Scott Robinson .309, 13 HR, 57 RBI, 10 SB; 2B Joseph Batton .305, 21 2Bs, 11 SB; 3B Ryan Wehrle .317; OF Scott Houin .278, 20 2B, 35 SB; OF Chjad Maddox .307, 31 2B, 14 HR, 67 RBI, 12 SB.
Impact newcomers: OF Stephen Holdren .311, 25 2B, 20 HR, 56 RBI with Gateway and Southern Illinois; OF Caleb Curry, stole 45 bases as senior at University of Iowa in 2008.
Outlook: The Rascals came within one win of its first league championship last season. There is plenty of offense here but the pitching staff has been rebuilt. Brook is a former player and coach for the Rascals.
Did You Know? The Rascals made the playoffs last year for the first time since 2000, their first year in the league.

3. Florence Freedom
Location: Florence, Ky.
Manager: Toby Rumfield (3rd year - 132-156 in Frontier League)
Stadium: Champion Window Field (5,000)
Last year: 49-47, 3rd in East
Key returners: P Everett Saul 12-7, 5.23; P Chuck Tiffany (5-2, 4.23, former top-10 prospect of Dodgers; C Justin Pickett .277, 26 HR, 78 RBI; SS Tim Grogan .270, 12 HR, 60 RBI; 3B Johnny Welch .267, 13 HR, 51 RBI, 12 SB.
Impact newcomer: 1B Daryl Jones, former 4th-round pick of Padres.
Outlook: The Freedom switches divisions and brings a high-scoring lineup and hitter-friendly ballpark to the West. Mottram was the league's best hitter in the first half of last season before tailing off down the stretch. Florence always has been able to score in bunches and hit home runs. As usual, the pitching will determine if Florence can pass the .500 mark and make the playoffs for the first time.
Did You Know? Florence has improved its wins total in each of the last three seasons.

4. Gateway Grizzlies
Location: Sauget, Ill.
Manager: Phil Warren (4th year 154-128 career)
Stadium: GCS Ballpark (6,000)
Last year: 40-54, 5th in West
Key returners: P Mark Brackman 6-10, 4.93; C Charlie Lisk .282, 28 HR 82 RBI; OF Jareck West .254, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 21 SB
Impact newcomers: P Nick Walters, more than 200 IP in affiliated ball; 1B Logan Parker 6 HR, 48 RBI in Class AA last year; 3B Justin Baum 25 HR in 3 years in Padres' system.
Outlook: The Grizzlies had an unexpected and uncharacteristic poor season -- in large part because of the pitching -- in 2009 and Warren has made many changes to the roster. The Grizzlies will be improved but probably not by enough to make the playoffs.
Did You Know? Suaget (population 249 in the 2000 census) is the smallest city in the country to have a professional baseball team.

5. Evansville Otters
Location: Evansville, Ind.
Manager: Wayne Krenchick (2nd year - 28-66 in Frontier League)
Stadium: Bosse Field (5,110)
Key returner: DH Greg Alexander .261, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 12 SB
Impact newcomers: OF Estee Harris .277, 10 HR, 60 RBI with Long Island of Atlantic League, former 2nd-round pick of Yankees; OF Ross McCoy .283 with Rockford; INF Patrick Rose 396 ABs in affiliated ball.
Outlook: Krenchick, who had success in eight years as a manager in the Atlantic League - the highest-level of independent ball - but couldn't duplicate it in Evansville in his first season. Krenchicki said many of his connections were to Class AAA and AA talent, which doesn't help much in the FL. He gutted the roster and brought in former prospect Harris. Like Gateway, will be better but not by enough to make the playoffs.
Did You Know? Bosse Field was built in 1915, and many of the game scenes from the movie "A League of Their Own" were shot there.


6. Normal CornBelters
Location: Normal, Ill.
Manager: Hall Lanier (1st year in Frontier League)
Stadium: The Corn Crib (7,000)
Last year: NA
Newcomers: P Kevin Kreier 5-4 4 saves, 3.77 with Peoria of Class A Midwest League; 1B Steve Alexander 11 HR, 49 rbi with Lincoln of American Association; OF Garrett Bass, son of former major leaguer Kevin Bass; OF Phil Laurent, .310, 8 HR, 40 RBI with Washington.
Outlook: The league's newest team and also its youngest, which makes it difficult to evaluate the talent. Lanier had the same problem in spring training, as all five of the CornBelters exhibition games were cancelled. Alexander could be one of the league's top power hitters, but CornBeletrs could struggle offensively in a hitter-dominated division.
Did You Know? Lanier was the National league Manager of the Year with the Houston Astros in 1986.